Cwality Californya Edgeucasion
Ugh, there's too much to write about lately. Doesn't the political world realize it's the start of the pro and college football seasons as well as the fall push for the MLB playoffs? And that doesn't include the time I set aside for my wife, rowing, dance classes and watching all the games in person or on TV. I'm gonna end up being the guy blogging from left field watching my A's win the AL West.Yes, I complain at all the chaos in my life right now, but it's truly an exciting time of year for me, the sports producer. I'll be doing some personal blogging on the sports half of my life over at Urban Marinade here soon, so be sure to check that out.
In the meantime, the issues never end and the stupidity of elected officials continues to baffle me.
California is no stranger to stupid politics. Sometimes I think this state invented the concept. Take their screwy education system that raves when only 42% of their students score proficient (at grade level) in English and math. That means less than 58% of the students in California schools are capable of doing the work in their respective grade. Are you kidding me? Last time I looked, 42 out of 100% equals a grade of F!
But California is stoked!
This story came out two days ago and caught my attention because of my father’s role on his local school board. But I decided I needed to write about it after listening to Brian Sussman on The Sussman Show. Sussman invited listeners to call in and give their opinion on why there was no progress made in closing the so-called achievement gap that separates affluent from poor children, and whites and Asian Americans from Latinos and blacks. It's a spicy issue that solicited a wide-range of opinion.
Taking "The Real Republican" approach, I'm not afraid to give you my politically incorrect opinion on this issue. The achievement gap boils down to three things...pride, responsibility and ethics. It's something lacking in many homes and an issue liberals are too afraid to address for fear of the wrath from the ACLU. Now before you flip out with anger at what I just said, let me explain.
First, I apply these three character traits to the parents raising their children. A child who is never taught responsibility doesn't automatically grow up being responsible. Yes, some kids go through life with a natural ability to grow and mature with little guidance. But the majority need direction and many won't get it from home.
The teen birthrate in California alone is among the highest in the country and the chances those children will have a father are slim to none. Babies born out of wedlock are even higher among minority communities, with some 70% Latino babies born without a father. Not to mention illegal immigration has flooded the California school system with children whose families speak little English, who won't assimilate and who simply won't be there for proper parental guidance.
Liberals typically hate the term "family values," but clearly there is something amiss when a child is raised without those values. I use my wife's family as an example. Her father is Filipino and came to America when he was a teenager. He learned the language, worked hard, joined the Army and raised a beautiful family. But he instilled values and pride in his children because of his hard work. My wife doesn't ask for a thing. She knows it's her job to bust her butt if she wants something in life. Many children are raised today without that pride in having a work ethic.
The second element is personal responsibility. We all know what it's like growing up. You want to be cool, have cool clothes, drive a cool car and be liked by all the kids. Most of us (I was one of them) forsake responsibility sometimes to enjoy that hip factor. I think back to my days of skateboarding where I almost failed out of school. I never skipped school through my elementary education years, but there was a time hanging with my skate buddies I considered it. They all would skip school almost once a week. The option of going to school was like the option of getting a glass of milk from the fridge for these kids. I thought it was cool and my influential mind was saying "skipping school is cool to these guys, so I should do it." Thankfully the smart side of my brain won. But I let my grades slide because I didn't want to appear like I cared. It wasn't until my parents and the principal decided to pull me from band (something very, very close to my heart) that I dropped the skateboarding and got my grades up to A's. They took something I loved and gave me direction.
But too many kids these days forsake their education because somewhere along the lines it became cool. Think I'm kidding, just ask them. Most kids will shy away from showing enthusiasm for school. You remember the stereotype, only the geeks liked school. Today you're more than likely to get kids fired up talking about Gnarls Barkley or E-40 than Algebra and research papers. Because of this, having strong family values and/or convictions in your child is the most important element in a child’s life. We can blame the achievement gap on money...but it doesn't take money to be responsible and have a work ethic.
Sorry for the rant. I'll step off the soapbox and get back to preparing my personal preseason top 25 in college football. As I told my wife, get ready for Ohio State and Notre Dame playing for the national title. And go to school damn it!